Three seasons ago John Ross was a star stud receiver for the Washington Huskies. He became the Cincinnati Bengals 1st round draft pick (which was a surprise to most). His rookie year started with a Injury before the season even started. His comeback season was a respectable season after pure disappointment his rookie season.

His second season was how these talks of trade got started. He caught 21 passes for 210 yards and 7 touchdowns. The touchdown to catch ratio is ridiculous (3-1). With Tyler Boyd having the stand-out year the Bengals knew he would get, it will not give Ross the chance to tap into his full potential.

What is John Ross worth?

He can definitely be worth a 3rd round draft pick. There are tons of teams that need a flashy receiver like Ross. The Raiders or the 49ers have a great chance to win this transaction. Both have tons of draft picks to give and have cap space and need star quality. He needs to be where he is needed.

What’s the downside to trading John Ross?

First off, he is still on his rookie 1st round contract. He will be due to make $5.2 million next season. If traded the contract will carry a dead cap of 5 million and no cap savings. If they make a trade past June 1 the dead cap would be cut in half. Another reason not to trade is because the Bengals are starting a new regime with a offensive minded head coach (Zac Taylor). If they can find a way to get him more involved his value would be better when his contract runs out.

Trading a first round pick for a lower draft pick should never be in the cards. If he is tradable than obviously the Bengals owe him another season. Tyler Boyd finally plugged into his potential in his 3rd season. It’s time to get John Ross on track.

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